More than 50 years ago, Cuba underwent a political revolution. Now, diplomatic shifts are bringing change—and scores of formerly forbidden American visitors—to the island nation once again. Many believe that this is the best time to visit Cuba. Why? Here are six great reasons: 

1) Change Is in the Air! With President Obama’s historic announcement in December of 2014, our enchanting neighbor is no longer considered a threat to the U.S. or its interests. Off-limits to Americans for more than 50 years, the country can now welcome visitors. Cubans couldn’t be happier—and neither can we!

Taberna de la Muralla Plaza Vieja in Havana Vieja, Cuba

2) Cuba’s Colorful Culture: Visual artists transform industrial spaces and scrap articles into wondrous works of art. On street corners, musicians jam and passersby stop to dance. What the country lacks in material resources its ingenious citizens make up for in creativity.

3) Classic Cars: As of now, these American beauties still grace Cuba’s streets, giving the island its world-famous “suspended in time” quality. However, new vehicles and structures will surely replace the elegant autos and majestic buildings that famously adorn Havana’s neighborhoods.

4) Cuba’s Climate: Our near neighbor boasts tropical temperatures, along with warm, sunny beaches, serene turquoise waters, and gentle palm trees. Cuba also houses half a dozen Unesco Biosphere Reserves containing rare species of birds (such as the tiny bee hummingbird), plants, fish, and other wildlife. Rainforests and wetlands thrive. Relatively low population density means acres of unspoiled land throughout this lush country.

5) Cuban Cuisine, Cocktails and Cigars: Unlike other Spanish-speaking nations, Cuba is not known for spicy foods. Cuba’s cuisine draws influences from its history: largely Spanish, African, and Caribbean. Enjoy “Ropa Vieja,” rice with beans, “pollo,” and black bean soup with the island’s own inventions: mojitos and daiquiris. In Cuba’s southern region, savor Baracoa chocolate or sweet coconut cucurucho for dessert.

Like the country itself, Cuba’s most famous product was forbidden to Americans for half a century.  Now, you may legally carry as much as $100 worth of tobacco products back to America.  ¡Sabroso!

6) Cuba’s Conviviality: Most visitors say that what they love best about Cuba are the Cubans! Cuban people typically welcome visitors with food, festivity, friendliness, and music. Come to Cuba and experience for yourself the warmth and ingenuity of the island country’s strongest asset: its people.

Want to learn more about Cuba? Call our travel specialists at 1-800-450-2822 or follow insightCuba on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Text by Chelsea Lowe 
Photo by Robin Thom

Havana, Cuba

If it’s in Cuba and it’s worth seeing, insightCuba can take you there. Our destinations include Havana, with its bustle and beauty, and towns and villages all along the length of this scenic and charming island:

 Habana Vieja "the old city"

Havana: From “Habana Vieja,” “the old city,” to its cobblestone streets, classic cars, eclectic architecture, paladares, jazz, and El Malecon, Cuba’s capitol city has it all. Our Weekend in Havana, Jazz in Havana, and many of our other tours visit this important city.

Santiago de Cuba

Hot, hilly, and culturally diverse, the island’s second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, explodes with festivals, street vendors, horse-drawn carts, the sounds of son and salsa music, and the sight of white-garbed Santeria devotees. Our Undiscovered Cuba and Cuba By Land & Sea tours visit Santiago de Cuba.

 Baracoa Archaeological Museum

The country’s oldest town, Baracoa, is home to the island’s chocolate factories and cucurucho works, where pineapple-coconut-palm leaf candies are made. The little village near the island’s eastern tip boasts pristine beaches, pastel houses, El Yunque mountain, changui music, and lush rainforest—truly an island paradise. See Baracoa on our Undiscovered Cuba tour.

Horse and wagon in Cienfuegos

Sometimes called “the pearl of the south” or “the Paris of Cuba,” Cienfuegos (literally “one hundred fires”) rewards visitors with its neoclassical architecture and orange-tiled roofs, as well as coastal reefs, tranquil waters, and coral columns. Other attractions include the centuries-old Castillo de Jagua fortress, Jose Marti Park, and a number of notable monuments. Our Classic Cuba and Cuba By Land & Sea tours visit Cienfuegos.

At Cayo Granma island, red-roofed houses, many on stilts, stand guard around the harbor. Visitors and locals enjoy excellent fresh seafood and magnificent scenery.
Visit Cayo Granma on our Undiscovered Cuba tour.

Cathedral in Matanzas

Matanzas: On the Bay of Matanzas on Cuba’s northern shore, the “city of bridges” (17 of them!) is sometimes called “the Venice of Cuba,” and sometimes “the Athens…” owing to its rich cultural history. Birthplace of the rhumba, this comparatively large city sports museums, natural wonders, and other landmarks. Our Jazz in Havana tour includes Matanzas.

Horses in Bayamo, Granma, Cuba

Bayamo, in Granma Province, is one of the largest cities in the region, and home to a prominent university. Though Bayamo played a big part in island history, it’s better known today for its horse carts, relaxed pace, chess games, and Saturday night parties.
Our Undiscovered Cuba tour includes Bayamo.

Holguin, near the southern tip of Cuba, boasts beaches, parks, museums, and galleries—not to mention a baseball stadium and the enormous Loma de Cruz religious monument, visible for miles. Our Undiscovered Cuba tour will take you to Holguin. 

The first things visitors notice about Camaguey are the clay pots set outside to capture rainwater. Camaguey’s “old town,” built like a maze (to confuse would-be marauders, according to some accounts) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Artistically impressive Ignacio Agramonte Square and no fewer than 15 churches grace Camaguey. InsightCuba’s Undiscovered Cuba tour will take you there.

Near the center of the country, Santa Clara, with its quarter-million inhabitants, is divided into more than 30 neighborhoods. Santa Clara is locally known for its university and imposing Che Guevara monument, as well as tobacco production and myriad street vendors. See Santa Clara on our Classic Cuba, Vintage Cuba, and Undiscovered Cuba tours.

Unique bird and animal species and an idyllic Cuban countryside make Playa Larga the ideal getaway for Scuba enthusiasts, beachcombers, nature lovers and all who appreciate the beauty of the outdoors. InsightCuba’s Classic Cuba and Cuba By Land & Sea tours take you to Playa Larga.

UNESCO World Heritage Site Trinidad features sugarcane mills, the historic Plaza Mayor, Colonial-era structures, and beautiful buildings in pastel hues. Beaches and bays include the lovely Playa Ancon. In the evenings, the town comes alive with musical performance and dance. InsightCuba’s Classic Cuba tour visits Trinidad.

UNESCO Biosphere reserve Las Terrazas (or “terraces”) houses more than 70 bird and 800 plant species. Once home to numerous coffee plantations, this picturesque community features whitewashed houses with colorful rooftops and Cuba’s famously welcoming locals. It’s also home to open studios and craft workshops. Experience Las Terazzas on our Scenic Cuba tour.

Viñales seems to offer a trip to a prior century, with views of limestone formations, farmers riding to work on horseback, and endless fields of tobacco under bright blue skies. Tranquility and beauty reward those who travel there. See Viñales on our Scenic Cuba tour.

Some of Cuba’s best scenery—mountain ranges, tobacco plantations and sugarcane fields—can be enjoyed in Pinar del Rio, “pine of the river.”Like most of Cuba, it features noteworthy architecture and warm, welcoming citizens. Farmers known as “guajiros” perform traditional music, telling stories through song. Our Scenic Cuba tour visits Pinar del Rio.

Cayo Santa Maria, connected to the mainland by a long causeway, defines “unspoiled.” Only in the past fifteen years has this small, lovely island seen a hotel (and its new hotels are magnificent). Thatch umbrellas, white sand beaches, and azure waters housing scores of tropical fish make Cayo Santa Maria an attractive destination. Visit Cayo Santa Maria on our Vintage Cuba tour.

Rarely visited by tourists, Remedios, near the center of the island, holds several notable historic buildings, including Iglesia Mayor with its thirteen ornate altars. Home to abundant Spanish colonial architecture, quiet streets, and lively “Parrandas” Christmas festivals, Remedios charms all who take the time to see it. Visit Remedios on insightCuba’s Vintage Cuba tour.

Caibarien Corner

Known for carnivals, white sand beaches, and expertly cooked crab, Caibarien, nicknamedVilla Blanca,” or “White Town,” in honor of its sun-bleached sand, delivers an authentic travel experience, far from tourist hotels and attractions. Its people are friendly, even by island standards. Our Vintage Cuba and Undiscovered Cuba tours stop in Caibarien.

Text by Chelsea Lowe 
Photo by Robin Thom

This NEW five-day people-to-people tour will include exclusive salsa performances, access to sights rarely seen, and more!

Six months after the White House’s historic announcement that the U.S. would reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, longtime Cuba tour operator insightCuba has seen demand more than double. With destinations such as Havana, Trinidad and Matanzas attracting increasing numbers of visitors, insightCuba is launching its Weekend in Santiago de Cuba tour, the second installment in its Weekend series. (The first, our Weekend in Havana tour, has proven immensely popular.) Santiago de Cuba, the island nation’s second-largest city, sizzles with Afro-Cuban culture, salsa, and monuments to its long and complex history. From January through May of 2016, guests can book one of nine departure dates to explore the island’s sounds and rhythms, enjoy a brush with Santería, and tour El Cobre, the mountain pilgrimage church site regularly visited by the pope.

Carnaval in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.

“American travel to Havana is growing by leaps and bounds—but Santiago de Cuba offers access to a seldom-visited part of Cuba, one that shouldn’t be missed,” says Tom Popper, president of insightCuba.

Other tour highlights include live traditional Cuban music performances, and excursions to the birthplace of the Cuban Revolution, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Cayo Granma, where red-roofed wooden houses surround the harbor. On each tour, an expert Cuban guide and an insightCuba tour leader will accompany the guests, providing unparalleled insight into this destination. 

San Pedro de la Roca Castle - Santiago de Cuba

The Weekend in Santiago de Cuba tour includes:

• One night at the Sofitel Miami hotel (includes breakfast and airport transfer)
• Private welcome reception and pre-tour briefing
• Superior accommodations at the Meliá Santiago hotel in Santiago de Cuba
• InsightCuba exclusive-guided programming, including: unique handpicked people-to-people activities; insider access to Cuba's famous places and those rarely seen; and private visits and lectures with Cuba's experts
• Experienced insightCuba tour leader
• Expert Cuban guide
• All meals while in Cuba, except for one paladar evening dining experience on your own
• Certification of travel to Cuba under the U.S. Department of the Treasury general license
• Small group size (usually 16 or fewer guests; never more than 24)
• All entrance fees to scheduled activities and events
• Flight package (cost additional) including: round-trip charter air from Miami to Santiago de Cuba/Holguín, Cuban visa, priority check-in at Miami International Airport, and baggage fee for first checked bag
• All in-country ground transportation and airport transfers via luxury motor coach
• Private Cuban driver
• Travel health insurance, emergency medical evacuation, and trip- cancellation coverage (up to $1,000)
• Fresh bottled water while touring
• InsightCuba travel guidebook
• 24-hour emergency customer service hotline

Prices for this five-day tour begin at $2,895 per person for double occupancy. (Singles add $400.) Departure dates include Jan 15, Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 11, Mar 18, Mar 25, Apr 15, May 13, and May 27 of 2016. 

For more information on insightCuba’s tours, call 800-450-CUBA (2822). To stay connected with insightCuba, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/insightcuba, Twitter @insightcuba or Instagram @insightCuba

StarBien is a Havana paladar hidden in the leafy Havana Vedado neighborhood where the streets are populated by rows of early 20^th century mansions. With all of the Corinthian columns, crumbling facades, and leafy vines If you don’t know what you are looking for you will miss it. And you really shouldn’t, because for the last three years the chefs at StarBien have been serving up a mix of traditional and international cuisine that match the authenticity of the restaurant’s location with the cosmopolitan landscape of this part of Cuba’s capital. 

StarBien is as much as a study of architecture as it is a culinary experience. Upon entering the patio you still might not be convinced you are in a restaurant, plenty of potted plants, tropical trees, and a couple of park benches fill the patio. Only on the porch, which is large enough to seat 15 guests, does the present function of the structure reveal itself.

The interior of the house also keeps loyal to the original structure which means almost all the dining rooms are private or semiprivate in the different rooms of the house. This means that this is a perfect restaurant for an intimate dinner, or reserve a whole room for a group of 10-20. A second story balcony offers outdoor dining for those who want fresh air and maybe to catch a peak at the neighbors as they go on with their daily lives.

It must be difficult to live next to StarBien since the kitchen is always alive with rich wafts of home cooked food. The menu offers a mix of Cuban, Spanish and Italian fare; with various seafood dishes that seem underrepresented in other paladares such as fresh ceviche and shellfish.

The pasta is prepared in-house and has never seen the inside of a plastic bag. Normally Cuban eateries don’t offer more than a basic tomato based sauce on top of the noodles. StarBien has been perfecting creamy white sauces and light wine based sauces to drizzle over steamed clams and angel-hair pasta.

These light seafood offerings can be paired with the restaurants extensive selection of imported Chilean and Spanish wines. The whites are served chilled and perfect to keep fresh if you are sitting on the front porch or second floor balcony. 

The best way to get to StarBien is on foot. The Vedado neighborhood is built for walking so you should take advantage of the Avenue of Presidents or Paseo to get to your destination. Plenty of shade and pedestrian space are provided in these boulevards that were products of French city planners in Havana.

Vedado is the most cosmopolitan of Havana’s neighborhoods. And now with private business entering into the fray it is not uncommon to see government offices, a school, several private homes, a private restaurant, and small theater, and embassy all on the same street. Hidden amongst all of these is StarBien.

Paladar StarBien is located at No. 205 29^th Street between B and C in Vedado, Havana.  Open daily from noon to midnight you can make reservations at 53862222. Don’t be shy to ask the neighbors for directions, the signage is low key and blends in well with the natural greenry surrounding the building.

Photos and Text by Graham Sowa.

Cuban couple dancing  Photo credit: Robin Thom

Dancing is one of Cuba’s favorite pastimes, and the popular rueda de casino dance is even getting people on their feet in the U.S.

Rueda de casino (named for Cuba’s gambling-houses-turned-dancehalls of the late 1950s) became popular on the island in the ‘50s and ‘60s. After the Revolution, when Cubans began immigrating to the U.S, the dance traveled with them.

In Spanish, “rueda” means “wheel.” A group dancing a rueda forms a wheel or circle. A caller shouts out moves, sometimes using hand signals to be understood above the music. When the next move is called, dancers change partners.

Rueda de Casino dance time at Dupont Circle in Washington D.C.

Like many Cuban dances, rueda has roots in the son style of music. An evening of rueda dancing would not be complete without catchy tunes. If you’d like to start practicing at home, check out the latest from Alexander Abreu y Havana D’Primera.

Rueda de casino groups can be found throughout the country. Many communities hold rueda lessons and socials. If you can’t find workshops in your area, try Meetup.com.

Once you learn the basics, you’ll be prepared to dance in Cuba, where you can learn more from the masters. InsightCuba’s Jazz in Havana Tour will introduce you to irresistible music and even more forms of dance, including the rumba. Remember to pack your dancing shoes! 

Written by Melissa B. Skolnick

On December 17, 2014, President Obama announced the easement of travel restrictions to Cuba for Americans. Although the change was highly publicized, many of its nuances were not. Trips that once required a “specific license” are now authorized by a “general license,” which means that people who meet any of the 12 criteria listed below do not need to apply for a license to visit Cuba.

Also, the previous per diem rate no longer exists, and Americans visiting Cuba may engage in monetary transactions, such as lodging expenses and food, that pertain to travel. Americans will soon be able use credit and debit cards in Cuba. Cigar and rum aficionados will be pleased to know that travelers may return to the United States with up to $100 worth of alcohol or tobacco products (or some of each) purchased in Cuba for personal use.

Current categories of approved U.S. travel to Cuba: 

1. Family travel: Americans are permitted to visit close relatives, defined as any individual related “by blood, marriage, or adoption, who is no more than three generations removed from that person or from a common ancestor with that person. 

2. Official government business: Employees, contractors or grantees of the United States government, any foreign government, or any intergovernmental organization (of which the U.S. is a member or observer) can travel to Cuba on official business on behalf of their government or intergovernmental organization.

3. Journalistic activity:  Cuban travel is open to full-time journalists, supporting broadcast or technical personnel, or freelance journalists with experience 

4. Professional research and meetings: This is an opportunity for people to conduct research in their fields or attend professional meetings.

5. Educational activities: Under this category, insightCuba offers people-to-people trips to those who register for one of our Cuba tours. Staff and students from academic institutions and secondary schools also are allowed to engage in certain educational activities in Cuba under this classification.

6. Religious activities: Religious organizations, members, and staff are allowed to engage in programs and religious activities. This category of travel to Cuba must consist of a full-time schedule of religious activities.

7. Public performances, clinics, workshops, exhibitions and athletic competitions: In general, this category applies to athletes, performers, and artists who plan to participate in amateur and semi-professional sports, perform publicly, attend clinics or workshops, or exhibit their work.

8. Support for the Cuban people: The U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) defines “support for the Cuban people” as  “human rights organizations; independent organizations designed to promote a rapid, peaceful transition to democracy; and individuals and non-governmental organizations that promote independent activity intended to strengthen civil society in Cuba.”

9. Humanitarian projects: These include medical and health-related projects; certain beneficial construction projects; environmental projects; and undertakings involving educational training (in entrepreneurship and business, civil education, journalism, advocacy and organizing, adult literacy, or vocational skills; community-based grassroots projects; projects suitable to the development of small-scale private enterprise; projects related to agricultural and rural development that promote independent activity; micro-financing projects with some exceptions; and endeavors to meet basic human needs).

10. Activities of private foundations or research for educational institutes: People affiliated with private foundations or research or educational institutes may travel to Cuba for “an established interest in international relations to collect information related to Cuba for non-commercial purposes.”

11. Exportation, importation, or transmission of information or informational materials: This category allows a number of activities related to the publishing, music, and film industries.

12. Export: Travel to Cuba is permitted for some authorized export transactions.

If you still have questions about any of these new restrictions and traveling to Cuba, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you in Cuba.

Written by Lise Waring

Photo credit: Robin Thom

Last Thanksgiving, we booked an early Spring 2015 InsightCuba trip for the entire family to visit Wonder Husband’s ancestral island. On December 17th, the entire trip and experience took on a whole new facet with these simple words from President Obama, “Today, the United States of America is changing its relationship with the people of Cuba.”

I changed my relationship in regards to Cuba on June 3, 1990 when I met my future husband and eventually married into the Justiz Cuban-American family. I learned to speak louder while other people were talking to make my obviously correct point-of-view heard above the fray of family members all doing the same. I learned to play Cuban dominoes and to always try to be on my brother-in-law Ralph’s team. I gave up learning all but the most important Cuban words in the family, some of which I can’t repeat here. I learned to eat and cook arroz con pollo and a mean pot of black beans. Unfortunately, I still dance like a white American girl. 

As a “Cuban by marriage” and a giddy InsightCuba customer, here are the questions people will ask you when you return from Cuba along with my answers to help you decide to go or to help you answer after your own Cuban adventure:

Why did you go?

To beat Starbuck’s and McDonald’s to the island and to finally let my sons touch their heritage. For the food, the people, the music, the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the history. For the cigars. Definitely for the cigars.

Were you frightened?

Not at all. I posted what I wanted, said what I wanted, pretty much went where I wanted, and asked the questions I wanted answered. It’s quite obvious it is still a military state but the times are changing and there is a little more leeway for different voices. The answers I received were obviously skewed towards the party line but that just made it all that more interesting – and at times frustrating. And, I may or may not have lost my hi-speed hotel wi-fi for a few hours after one of my Twitter posts…

Was there food?

I carried tons of snacks for fear I would starve with all the food rationing, etc. I had more than enough chicken, pork, beans, rice, flan, and more to keep me full daily. There is not a huge variety like most Americans are used to but still plenty in the restaurants and hotels. Just remember, food is still rationed for the majority of Cubans in very small portions. Be grateful for what you have while there and for what you have when you return.

Will you get your husband’s family homes back?

I always thought that would be the case, that would be something we would obviously fight for. Now? I’m not so sure. It has been a very long time and generations have been raised in these homes. Generations of very nice people I met and worked with while in Havana. I don’t want to have to be the one that makes that sort of decision.

Is it worth the trip?

Yes, it changed our lives. My sons learned more about their heritage. We met cousins born after the revolution that even my husband had never met, only heard about. Even without the family connection, it would have been an amazing experience. It is history. And, the changes will take a long time but to be able to see the start of something new was just amazing. So many of the Cuban people are just holding their breath waiting to see if this will really happen, what will happen, and how it will change their lives. Again, it is living history.

How did you get there?

We put our entire trip into the hands of InsightCuba and their amazing staff including our guide, American medical student Graham Sowa – who eventually became my co-author of Havana: 101 Ways to Rock Your World after this trip. Even with all the flights opening up, it helps to have an experienced tour company like InsightCuba and a guide like Graham. Rules and laws are changing daily – I felt much more comfortable traveling with someone who knew what those changes were.

Should I go?

Yes. Yes. And yes. Go now to get the full flavor. Get there as fast as you can. I’ll go with you….

I’ll leave you with the Justiz family toast from Abuela Gloria Justiz:

Salud, dinero, y amor - y tiempo para disfrutarlos.

Health, money and love - and the time to enjoy them.

Also read: So we went to Cuba for the weekend (The Huffington Post, March 2015)

Dayna Steele is a popular motivational business speaker, CEO and creator of YourDailySuccessTip.com, and the author of the 101 Ways to Rock Your World book series including Havana: 101 Ways to Rock Your World - available in paperback and Kindle versions from Amazon.com. 

The Cuban flag raised today was taken down in Washington DC In 1961 and was stored in Cuba ever since, until today

“It’s only a matter a time”, said Javier Nuñez,* a Cuban government official in 2003 when the Bush administration just about carved out all permissible travel categories to Cuba. Not even a surviving war hero from the battlefields of Fallujah, Iraq would be allowed to visit Cuba to see his children before being sent back for another tour where he thought he would not return.  I was inspired by Javier’s optimism. After all, his whole life existed under the U.S. Embargo against Cuba, a policy meant to snuff out the Castro government, but failed to do much other than hurt the Cuban people for 54 years.

However on December 17, 2014 everything changed. President Obama and President Raul Castro made dual announcements to their respective nations at noon promising the U.S and Cuba would re-establish diplomatic relations and that Americans would find it easier to travel to Cuba. Cuba celebrated and the U.S. population took notice.  Travel to Cuba by Americans started soaring.

Fast forward to July 20, 2015. I couldn’t help but recall my conversation with Javier 12 years earlier. Normalization between the U.S. and Cuba seemed almost impossible. I even wondered if we or our children would ever see such a political feat. But the time had come. On this day, as I jumped into my taxi in Washington, DC, I asked the driver to take me to the Cuban Embassy. Words no American has uttered since 1961. The taxi driver said to me, “Today is the day!”

It was my distinct honor to be among the few invited to the official opening and flag raising ceremony at the Cuban Embassy. As we drove up 16^th street, media outlets with lights, cameras and talking heads lined the sidewalks. As I entered the grounds of the once Cuban Interest Section, the lone flagpole, was waiting, as it had been for 54 years.  The historical significance of the moment was imminent. Standing around me was a mix of personalities I never thought I would see together; Senator Patrick Leahy, members of Congress and U.S. State Department officials were standing amongst the former Cuban Vice President Ricardo Alarcón and other prominent Cuban officials. And then it happened. Ambassador José Cabañas along with members of the Cuban National Guard and U.S. Department of State Representatives raised the Cuban flag.  After a 54 year hiatus, it was finally flying in Washington, DC. What followed was absolute elation, there was not to be a dry eye on the grounds. Everyone present understood the significance of the moment.

Cuban National guardsman at the entrance of the new Cuban Embassy / Taking first steps into the new Cuban Embassy

Seconds later, we were granted entry into the new Cuban embassy. Prominent politicians excitedly took photos and some, (I won’t say who) were even taking selfies as they entered.  As we gathered in the ballroom, one couldn’t help but notice the Cuban and American flags standing side by side in front of the podium. One of many firsts that day. 

Ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the UN, Bruno Rodriguez, addressing his guests at the Cuban Embassy

After the Cuban national anthem and the Star Spangled Banner played, Ambassador to the Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Bruno Rodriguez, officially welcomed renewed relations between the U.S. and Cuba.  During his short but poignant speech, he pointed out that the Cuban flag hanging in the hallway was the very same flag that flew at the Cuban Embassy in 1961 before the embassy closed. That flag was sent back to Las Tunas province in Cuba, where it was kept safe in a museum until today. When I touched the flag, I felt as though it was saying, “I finally made it back.”

Stained glass ceiling over the entrance of the Cuban Embassy / Tom Popper, president of insightCuba, with Ambassador Jose Cabanas

Tom Popper is president of insightCuba, a leading provider of legal people-to-people travel to Cuba. InsightCuba was the first to bring Americans to Cuba under this provision in 2000. The company has sent more than 12,000 Americans to Cuba legally.

*Name has been changed.

Visiting Valle de Viñales is all about the views. There are more than a few lookouts over the bucolic tobacco fields but only paladarBalcón de la Valle (Balcony of the Valley) lets you take in the landscape while feasting on the best traditions of rural Cuban cooking. 

Balcon Del Valle in Pinar del Rio, Cuba

Valle de Viñales doesn’t fit the image of a traditional valley held between two mountains. Instead of erosion from surface water Valle de Viñales was formed by erosion from underground streams, which then caused caves to collapse, forming an intricate network of low and high points throughout the area. Instead of a continuous mountain range the hills stand as solitary magotes, like giant 100-300 meter haystacks in the verdant landscape. 

Balcon Del Valle views over Valle de Viñales 

These unique geographical features are only part of the draw to Viñales, the other attraction is the cultural heritage that typifies rural outposts of Cuban life. Farming, storytelling, tobacco rolling, ranching, and maintaining a tight-knit community are some of the more important parts of living in a place such as Valle de Viñales. Of course central to all of this is being open and welcoming to outsiders. With more casa particulares (bed and breakfasts) per block than any other Cuban town Valle de Viñales goes over and above to make sure that foreigners feel more than welcomed in their quite little town.

To honor these traditions the area was given the distinction of being a United Nations Cultural-Landscape Site in 1999. The restaurant Balcony of the Valley does its best in preserving this unique mix of culture and geography.

The deck at Balcon Del Valle provides a beautiful view!

Perched on wooden platforms made from planks cut from Royal Palm Trees (the official tree of Cuba) and held aloft on pine posts cut from the tropical pines that surround the valley this could be one of the most unique paladares on the island.

The more than 180-degree view of the valley from any of the tables means that you might spend more time looking out at that magnificent sunset than at your plate.

Stunning views from the Balcony of the Valley in Cuba

If you need convincing that your food is worth a minute of your time in this brilliant setting consider that everything is cooked over a charcoal fire. This cooking technique produces a taste that can’t be replicated over gas or electric stoves.

Everything is cooked over a charcoal fire at Balcon Del Valle

Just because you are in the mountains doesn’t mean you have to stick to pork and chicken. The paladar offers family style meals where guests pay a per-person price (between $10-15) and are served several plates of starters (croquetas (like hush-puppies but chewier), fresh vegetable salad and fried plantain chips are commonly offered) and then 5 different plates of meat (beef, fish, shrimp, pork, lamb, chicken or lobster) are then shared between hearty serving of rice, beans, yucca, and grilled vegetables.

People used to go to Valle de Viñales because it was an off-the-map destination with a stunning landscape. Even though tourism has become the staple crop of this farming town the locals have not let that alter their affiliation for their unique heritage. The highlight of any visit continues to be the geographical and cultural heritage of their community. Balcony of the Valley off the both of best worlds: stunning views and savory rural cooking.

More views from Balcon Del Valle in Pinar del Rio, Cuba

Balcon del Valle is located before you enter into Viñales proper at Km 23 of the Pinar del Rio – Vinales highway just 120 meters from the visitors center. Open daily from 12pm-10pm reservations can be made at 52238969. Come before sunset to see stunning views and bring bug spray to keep the mosquitoes away.

Photos and Text by Graham Sowa.

[Photo credit: Robin Thom]

Contrary to popular perception, Cuban cuisine is not especially spicy, nor characterized by heavy sauces or deep frying.

Cuba’s foods reflect its history: Spanish settlers, Caribbean neighbors, African slaves, and Native American and other influences—including Chinese! Indentured servitude in the mid 1800s brought Chinese and Indian citizens to Havana’s harbor. As a port city, Havana saw Spanish spices and other exotic ingredients. The rise of apiaries in the late 1700s gave Cuba organized honey harvesting.

Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)

Pork, salads, and rice-and-bean dishes can be seen on dinner plates throughout the country. Arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), moros y Christianos (rice and beans) and ropa vieja (literally translated as “old clothes,” a long-cooked falling-off-the-bone meat meal) represent typical main dishes.

Cuban cooks use local seafood and vegetables, including plantains, and sometimes sweet fruit for dessert, or citrus for cooking.  Many of the region’s best-known recipes are flavored with “sofritos,” sauces made from garlic, green pepper, lightly fried onion, tomatoes, and spices such as cumin, oregano, and cilantro.

Local ingredients include the mamey fruit, malanga root (often made into fritters), and several species of fish. Beef, pork, and chicken are staples. The island holds few vegetarians.

Café con leche (Cuban Coffee)

A Typical Cuban breakfast might include tostada, toasted buttered bread similar to American toast. Tostadas sometimes are flattened, the better to dunk into Cuba’s strong coffee. Café con leche—a kind of espresso and milk—is popular at breakfast time.

Although times are changing, Cuba still employs a rationing system, allotting grocery and household items according to the numbers, ages, and physical conditions of people in each household.

Other things that might surprise you about Cuban cuisine:

Cuban bread typically is baked with lard instead of oil.

Dinner at Abella Hospedaje Playa La Altura, Pinar del Rio, Cuba [Photo credit: Robin Thom]

At home, island meals have no courses, with the exception of dessert. All components are brought to the table together.

“Cuban sandwiches” (often called “mixtos” or “Cubanos”) date back to the late 1800s or early 1900s. No one can be certain, but the pressed bread, ham or roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickle and mustard treats might have been invented for factory worker lunch pails. No one is sure of their place of origin, either. Travel between Cuba and Tampa, Florida, was common and comparatively easy in those days.

Cuban salads tend toward simplicity—but are always presented prettily.

To end the day, the “medianoche” (midnight) sandwich, similar to the Cubano, but on softer bread, has proven popular at late-night clubs in Cuba and Cuban communities throughout the U.S. 

Read more about Cuban Cuisine and even learn some recipes you can cook at home in our blog post, "When Cultures Collide in the Kitchen: Two Easy Cuban Recipes".

Text by Chelsea Lowe 

If you enjoy photography, Cuba never disappoints. From the architecture and classic cars to the World Heritage sites, there’s plenty to fill the frame. Here are a few suggestions for photographers heading to Cuba:

Before You Go:

1. Don’t waste your travel time learning how to operate a new camera, flash or lens. Practice at home until you know your gear well. Also, make certain that your camera is clean, and everything is functioning perfectly.
2. If you’re an amateur photographer with costly equipment, consider travel insurance. It’s inexpensive and usually covers a lot. (Note: Most claims will be denied if the insurance company learns that you make money from shooting.)
3. Be sure to pack everything you’ll need, ideally including a way to back up your images each day.
4. Pack light (just one prime lens and one zoom), and place your camera gear in your carry-on luggage to increase the likelihood of a gentler trip and decrease the probability of theft.
5. Make a general shot list. What are you particularly eager to see in Cuba? Old cars? Beaches or landscapes? Tobacco plantations? Colonial architecture? Musicians? You don’t have to live by the list, but your photos should highlight the reasons you chose Cuba.

While in Cuba:

1. Plan your schedule around the best light. Get up early to capture the morning sun and places coming to life. At this time of day, fewer tourists will be out wandering into your frame. Another ideal time to shoot is from late afternoon until after sunset.
2. Cuban nightlife is legendary, and the cities come alive after dark. Play with your camera’s settings to capture the movement, colors, and lights of Cuba at night.
3. Get away from the crowds. The best way to explore the rhythm of a place is to act like an anthropologist and observe carefully. Wander down alleys and sit in cafés to watch passersby.
4. Always have your camera with you. You never know what you’ll see. Serendipity is a photographer’s friend.
5. As you would anywhere, ask permission when you photograph a person at close range. Learning how to ask politely in Spanish might make it easier: ¿Puedo tomar la foto, por favor?

Read more photography tips for travel in Cuba.

 Written by Lise Waring

Playa Maguana area, Baracoa, Cuba

Cuba may be only 90 miles from the United States shoreline, but for half a century, the island has been largely off-limits to most Americans. With the White House’s announcement of loosened travel restrictions to Cuba has come an immediate surge in its popularity with travelers. Cuba had been moving up the lists of sought-after Caribbean destinations for Americans since the 12 categories of approved U.S. travel were changed. But Americans aren’t the only ones contributing to the sudden influx in tourism. People from around the world want to see Cuba before it changes forever.

Why will it change? When and if the U.S. embargo against Cuba is lifted, a number of factors could affect the island’s current provincial appeal.

Technology:

The availability of technology in general and Internet access in particular is increasing in Cuba. For a country that’s essentially been stuck in the 1950s, 21^st century amenities will represent a big change for the Cuban people.

The Environment:

Economic isolation has preserved many of Cuba’s natural environments, such as coral reefs and tropical forests. Global corporations and governments have not yet influenced economic growth—of which environmental degradation is often an unfortunate byproduct.

Commercial Enterprises:

2015 has been an outstanding year for Cuban entrepreneurs. As the economy opens to more private businesses, startups are multiplying—transforming the workforce, industry, and culture.

Tourism:

A tourism boom will demand more luxury accommodations and amenities for guests—all of which will alter the landscape and experience of current travel in Cuba.

Is Cuba on the cusp of a cultural and economic revolution that will change it forever? There’s no way to know for sure, but, for these and other reasons, the most fascinating time to visit is now. Get started by viewing a full list of tours offered by insightCuba, the foremost provider of legal people-to-people travel to Cuba.

Written by Lise Waring
Photo by Robin Thom

Photo credit:  Rachel Jean

Until regularly scheduled air service on established carriers begins, plan for an atypical experience when you fly to Cuba. Right now, the only way to get there by air from the United States is through a charter company. Some charters lease planes from American Airlines or JetBlue; others have their own. When you travel with insightCuba, we will do most of the paperwork that goes along with buying a ticket to Cuba. However, there are still some important aspects of air travel to Cuba that you need to prepare for.

First, online booking and paperless travel are not yet available. That means your travel agency or charter company will send you paper documents that you will need to keep with you as you travel to and from Cuba. Don’t lose them.

InsightCuba offers everyone who books a flight package one free checked bag, Cuban airport departure tax, a Cuban visa, and priority check-in at Miami International Airport. That last part is important. Because charter companies are required to submit detailed passenger manifests and extra paperwork to the United States Treasury Department, check-in occurs four hours before scheduled take off.  That means your 8 a.m. flight has a 4 a.m. check-in time! Be sure to get a good sleep the night before; as soon as you arrive in Havana, you will hit the ground running. 

During check-in, you will see many of your fellow passengers carrying numerous bags and even large flat-screen TVs. Don’t worry: you didn’t under pack. Consumer goods are costly and hard to find in Cuba, so many people carry them back in their luggage. 

Now, get ready to walk! The charter companies have no mercy on your feet, and often get the farthest gates from the security checkpoint. Grab a water or coffee and take your time. (Remember: Your flight probably doesn’t leave for another three hours.)

Cafe at José Martí International Airport in Havana, Cuba  Photo credit: Robin Thom

The boarding process is much the same as for regular carriers, and everyone will have an assigned seat. If you want extra legroom, ask for a seat up front or in the emergency exit row. (Because you’re an English speaker, the flight attendants will probably ask that you sit there anyway.) Don’t get too comfortable: the flight is about 45 minutes (35 if there’s a good tailwind.)

You will arrive at Terminal 2 of the Jose Marti International Airport in Havana. There is no jet way, so you will have to go down the stairs and walk across the tarmac. Your first stop will be immigration. Don’t be surprised if a state security officer pulls you aside and questions you about your visit and life in the United States. This is normal. The officer might ask to see your passport and travel itinerary, as well.

Once you go through passport control, you’ll have to get your bags. If you need to sit down, begin scoping out a seat as soon as you get to the baggage claim. There are few chairs and lots of people. A representative from the Cuban travel agency will likely round you all up and help you get your bags. Sometimes, bags end up on other flights and arrive as much as an hour later. Be patient. If, for some reason, your bags get delayed more than an hour, we will help you put in a claim form and you will return to the airport later to retrieve your luggage. This is not common, but it is possible. Of course, the best way to avoid the baggage-claim process is to travel with carry-ons only.

InsightCuba knows that traveling to Cuba comes with plenty of questions. We will be with you every step of the way to make sure your experience flying to and from the island goes as smoothly as possible. For more information on insightCuba’s tours, call 800-450-CUBA (2822). To stay connected with insightCuba, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/insightcuba, Twitter @insightcuba or Instagram @insightCuba

Five things to remember about air travel to Cuba:

1)    Get a flight package with your trip through insightCuba

2)    Set your alarm clock and get a good night’s sleep if you have an early departure time

3)    Be ready for a walk to the gate at the airport in Miami

4)    Buy a water before boarding your flight so you have something to drink once you get to Cuba

5)    Be patient waiting for your luggage, or avoid the baggage claim and bring only carry-ons

Written by Graham Sowa

Daysi Camejo Fiffe of Baracoa is a typical Cubana. She is hospitable, vivacious and kind. She smiles broadly. 

And yet, the plump, flamboyant Daysi stands out from the crowd. Apart from her day job at the local secretary’s office, where she’s been managing confidential documents for the past 32 years, she brings in extra income by renting her home, in what is known in Cuba as a casa particular.

“We are ecstatic with this notición (extraordinary news) from your President. December 17th will always be an unforgettable day for us, Cubans,” said Daysi by email few days after the historical announcement.

President Obama's sweeping December announcement to restore diplomatic relations with the once forbidden island has opened the doors to Cuba a little bit wider. Homeowners like Daysi are hoping to host American tourists. As of today - despite the new regulations - the only legal way for Americans to travel to the island remains via organized people-to-people tours with companies like insightCuba.

Boasting a large terrace overlooking the sea, the merry blue and yellow hues of her house blend in with the blues of the sea, and yellow rays of the sun. Inside, similar colors inspire a matching Caribbean look and feel, a Cuban nautical motif of sorts.

For 20 CUC a night per room (1 CUC is the equivalent of 1 US dollar), European tourists mostly – predominantly Italian, Spanish, and French – cohabitate with Daysi, while they roam through the easternmost province of Cuba, Guantanamo.

More often than not, Guantanamo evokes sentiments of hostility and isolation. While certainly off the grid, Daysi’s hometown, the region’s undiscovered gem, does not. Like few places in the world, Baracoa offers a bit of everything. Cuba’s first settlement and once its capital overflows with natural beauty (an abundance of rivers, mountains and beaches), with cone-shaped palm leaves filled with sweetened coconut - the local delicacy known as the cucurucho - and the best treat of all, with generous amounts of chocolate production.

She’s lucky. Her house is right on the beach. Today, it is no longer allowed to build any cement and blocks house less than fifty meters from the sea. The reason is simple: to prevent storm devastation. Although the two major hurricanes Ike and Sandy ravaged through the Caribbean island, her house remained in good condition. Luck struck again, for there is no flood insurance in Cuba.

In recent years, selling and renting houses has been more loosely accepted in Cuba. Signs of Se vende esta casa (house for sale) can be seen ever more often.

How will the new White House regulations change the lives of small business owners like Daysi remains to be seen. One thing is clear; decades of isolation haven’t inhibited their desire to get out into the world. Cubans are learning. Cubans are adapting.

“It’s only 14 CUC/ night if tourists stay for a month or two, and 15 CUC/ night if for a week. The Italian currently staying on the second floor is here for a month,” Daysi explained. The fee includes accommodation in one of the two upstairs bedrooms (she lives on the ground floor), and breakfast; a private, Cuban bed & breakfast, if you may. She also provides a TV, AC and hot water, but no Internet.

For modern day dwellers, scarcity of Internet access throughout Cuba remains a problem. Only 5% of the island’s eleven million population is currently connected. While infrastructure is expected to improve in the upcoming months, most probably years, as of today, only journalists have Internet at home. As for landlines, only 40% of the Cuban population can attest to that.

While Daysi checks her email from work, most others don’t have that luxury. Besides replying to Internet inquiries, she promotes her rental business through the infallible word of mouth and through a stamp on her door that reads house for rent.

“A German tourist put my house on Trip Advisor,” Daysi said.

Despite her apparent higher standard of living, life doesn’t come easy. Her daughter, a 26 year-old doctor, lives and works in Venezuela. Cuba’s medical schools provide some of the best doctors in the world, but the average income of 25 to 30 CUC a month doesn’t suffice to live, not even in Cuba.

“Life in Venezuela is dangerous. But she earns much more there. She hopes to come back to Cuba and buy a house. But until then, she has to make sacrifices - the price of a house is very high,” Daysi continued.

Taxes are also a factor. The land on which the house rests was given from her father in law, however the state ultimately owns the house. She has to pay roughly 60 CUC a year in tax, as well as 10% on her monthly earnings.

As she gazes over to the sea, from her beautiful terrace, Baracoa’s waters are shimmering. Despite everything, Daysi is counting her blessings. The people of Baracoa are poor. But their souls are immensely rich. Their doors are always open.

This is partly why tourists feel so welcome here – thankfully, Baracoa is not overrun with tourists yet – initially allured by the region’s rich UNESCO Biosphere reserve and the majestic Yunque plateau, they ultimately stay for the people’s warmth, their familiarity on the streets and the contagious good mood.

Still, some Cubans with lifelong dreams to flee the island put their house for sale in hopes for a new life, elsewhere. Daysi, however, is here to stay. Her house remains open for guests.

“You have no idea how happy we are to now have relations with your country; I hope you are as well.” 

Monica Suma is a freelance travel writer. Follow her on Twitter @MonicaSuma. 

Hotel National from La Torre, Havana Vedado, Cuba

Classic cars aren’t Cuba’s only obvious links to the past. Despite new construction throughout the island, its art deco and belle époque hotels grandly stand the test of time.

Hotel Nacional de Cuba:

With its distinctive architecture, waterfront setting, and colorful history, the 457-room Nacional serves as a tourist attraction in its own right. Its Cabaret Parisien hosts lavish stage shows nightly, and shiny classic cars adorn the grounds.

Built on an ancient fortress site (two antique canons remain in its garden) and opened in December of 1930, Hotel Nacional has seen glamour and gore. It is probably best known for decades of famous guests—among these, entertainers Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Fred Astaire, Marlene Dietrich, Errol Flynn, Betty Grable, and Tyrone Power; dignitaries such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Sir Winston Churchill, and former Governor Jesse Ventura; athletes Rocky Marciano and Mickey Mantle; and authors Ernest Hemingway, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (to name just some).

Hotel National lobby, Havana, Cuba

The building has served as a literacy training center, and a home for the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. A small Cuban Missile Crisis exhibit and stone tunnels throughout the property recall the days Fidel Castro and Che Guevara set up strategic operations there.

The infamous Battle of the Hotel Nacional in 1933 claimed many lives. In the ‘50s, American management turned away performers Nat King Cole and Josephine Baker for racial reasons, although the hotel would later host Cole, and singer Eartha Kitt would inaugurate Café Parisien. American and Italian mobsters held a summit, later dramatized in The Godfather, Part II, at the Nacional. During a 1997 hotel bombing campaign, an explosion in the Nacional’s lobby injured a guest and several staff members.

Hotel Nacional closed for an overhaul from 1990-92, but according to visitors, has faded to a degree. Not all guests consider it luxurious, but most would call it grand.

Hotel Florida, Havana Vieja, Cuba

Hotel Florida:

Old Havana’s Hotel Florida welcomes visitors into a resplendent lobby. Exposed beam ceilings, French doors, arches, columns, marble, and other old-world touches, along with most modern amenities, make Hotel Florida a desirable destination. Like the Nacional, it underwent extensive renovation in the 1990s, and harbors at least one unfortunate note in its past. Built as a residence and sold to a slave trader in the early 1800s, it was converted into a hotel in 1885.

Hotel Santa Isabel, Plaza de Armas, La Habana Vieja

Other historic Havana hotels include the art deco (among other styles) Inglaterra, opened in 1875, the imposing and visually arresting Saratoga, elite Hotel Plaza, art nouveau Hotel Racquel, the Santa Isabel, built as a private home in the 1600s, and the storied Sevilla.

Lobby of the Hotel Sevilla, Havana Vieja, Cuba

Cuba’s classic hotels evoke the old-world elegance of decades past, when America’s elite made the island its hotspot. One can glimpse the glamour in the classic rooms, bars, lobbies, and grounds of these well-preserved treasures. 

Text by Chelsea Lowe 
Photo by Robin Thom

In his first trip to the United States since 1959, Cuban President Raul Castro met U.S. President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill De Blasio, Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and other dignitaries. Now, he can add insightCuba’s President, Tom Popper, to the list.

The two met at a reception for the president and United Nations delegation at the Cuban Permanent Mission to the U.N. on September 27th.  InsightCuba’s president described Cuba’s president as “very cordial.”

Earlier, Castro addressed the U. N. general assembly (an annual gathering of world leaders), calling for an end to U.S. sanctions against the island nation. The relationship between the two countries chilled in the early 1960s during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but in recent years, has thawed dramatically. Easier travel between Cuba and the U.S., and infrastructure improvements on the island, are in the works, and both countries have reestablished embassies on each other’s soil.

For decades, Americans wanting to visit Cuba have endured restrictions and bureaucracy. With President Obama’s December, 2014 announcement about easing limitations, interest in our near neighbor has increased considerably.

Castro’s trip to New York comes just after Pope Francis’s visit to Cuba and the U.S., making September 2015 a remarkable time in world history.
“It was an honor to be invited to this event during such a historic time in U.S.-Cuba relations,” said insightCuba’s Popper. “I thanked President Castro for allowing insightCuba the privilege of bringing Americans to Cuba for the past 15 years to experience the openness and warmth of the Cuban people.”

Written by Chelsea Lowe

If travel is educational—and it is!—Cuba makes for an ideal family trip.
The island is generally safe, temperate, and friendly—perfect for outdoor activity and cultural exploration. Most hotels and restaurantswelcome young people. And, of course, Spanish, one of the world’s most popular languages (and one your child or children may be learning in school), is spoken everywhere!

Museum of the Revolution, Havana Vieja, Cuba

The island’s museums, monuments, elegantly decorated restaurants, colorful outdoor murals, and musical sensibility appeal not only to children, but to all family members, as well. Many elements of daily life in Cuba—coco taxis and classic cars, musical jams, sidewalk chess games, and friendly locals—will impress kids (and others) as exotic. Several of our tours visit schools, where travelers meet local students.

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, Guantanamo, Cuba

Cuba teems with beautiful, pristine nature reserves, ideal for exploring marine and animal life and local scenery. In the provinces, end-of-year carnivals, such as the Parrandas in Remedios, offer special activities for children, and delight all family members with performances, sound, and spectacle.

Breakfast at a Casa Particular in Cienfuegos, Cuba

Kid-friendly Cuban foods include fried plantains, tostadas, and fresh fruit juices. At the island’s southern tip, one can find sweet cucuruchos (pineapple-coconut candy) and Baracoa chocolate.

People-to-people travel remains a legal necessity for most Americans visiting Cuba. InsightCuba custom tours can tailor activities to families, incorporating a little something for everyone.  Cuba’s joyous music, colorful plazas, and welcoming people make for memorable family travel.

Written by Chelsea Lowe

Havana has over 100 places to eat lunch or dinner, but if you need a breakfast or brunch spot then Café Arcángel should top your short list.

Located around the corner from the famous House of Music near the corner of Neptuno and Galiano streets this café is something of an atypical find in the rough-around-the-edges feel of the Central Havana neighborhood.

This part of Havana, nestled in between Old Havana and Vedado, is more known for its Reggaeton music, neighbors that hold conversations by yelling between buildings, and looking like it has passed the last half a century without maintenance.

Café Arcángel is an alternative to all of this, a chance for the curious soul take in the local vibes while knowing that a super low-key respite is only a few blocks away.

To drive this point home, a sign on the door plays up this out of place feel: “Alternative ways to prepare Coffee: French press and drip”. This is nothing short of blasphemy in Cuba’s espresso slurping culture.

Alternative is an apt description for the rest of the experience as well. No rice and beans or yucca on the menu. Instead baguettes filled with serrano ham and smoked salmon along with all day breakfast take top billing on the menu. Drinks include more than a dozen coffee infusions, including Irish coffee in case you need to come down easy from a late night at the House of Music. 

Even through its differences Café Arcángel still embraces its cultural roots. The doors have been sanded smooth and left to show various layers of paint and wear that people in home décor should probably label “Central Havana patina”. Locals easily outnumber tourists as customers, as I was the only non-Cuban during my afternoon visit.

Even for those exploring solo there is ample opportunity to take in the neighborhood scene by watching residents through the café’s street level windows. It seems as everyone outside knows each other and act just as casual as if they were in their living room. It is sort of like a 3^rd world, inner-city version of the Andy Griffin’s Mayberry.

And all of this while surrounded by antiques, photos on the wall of a bygone-era when Central Havana still had a bit of luster, old Charlie Chaplin reels playing on a small T.V. and all set to a soundtrack of the most unobtrusive music I have ever heard in a Cuban establishment.

A small sign on a door says “Room for Rent”. Ask to take a look and you will find out that Café Arcángel, only 3 years old, has its roots as a decade old Bed and Breakfast (known as a Casa Particular in Cuba). Three wonderful colonial style rooms with period furniture that, while not always matching, definitely compliments the tone set by the café.

Central Havana offers everything from fine dining, to quaint brunch cafés, to Santaria ceremonies and street parties that last all weekend. Café Arcángel is part of this landscape that shows a genuine diversity of thought, feeling and style underneath the popular perceptions of this historic neighborhood.

Café Arcángel is located in Central Havana, #57 Concordia Street between Galiano and Aguila. Open every day from breakfast to 10pm. Local phone is 7867-7495, website is www.arcangelcafe.com, and as a sign of entry into the 21^st century they also have a presence on Facebook and TripAdvisor.com. They are hoping to offer Wifi at some point in the future.

Photos and Text by Graham Sowa.

Giant bottle of Havana Club in Havana Vedado, Cuba

Cuba Libre, the Hemingway Special, El Presidente, La Mulata, just a few of the cocktails made famous by the Cuban rum, have maintained their punch and popularity several decades following. But as home to the Grand Prix of International Cocktail Havana Club, first organized in 1996, Havana can easily relish in its role of cocktail mecca.

Despite the crave-still for classics such as the Daiquiri and Mojito, drinking rum like a local is an entirely different story. Skip the sugary mojito for a Havana Club Añejo 7 Años (7-Year) rum on the rocks instead; pungent, crisp, straight to the core. And due to recent loosening of travel restrictions towards Cuba, an attainable taste to take home - up to $100 worth of it.

A line of oxen and carts in the sugar cane fields near Gaspar, Ciego de Avila Province, Cuba

For centuries, Cuba – by now synonymous with island of rum - has occupied a key role in the history and production of rum. The arrival of sugar cane in 1493, thanks to Christopher Columbus, combined with the favorable climate, fertile soil and unique expertise of the Maestros Roneros (Master Rum-makers) havenurtured to life the earliest version of rum – a fermented nectar of sorts. With the introduction of copper stills and the first attempts at aging in the 1800s, the quality improved, a concept set forth by Pedro Diago, recognized as father of the Cuban rum and first Cuban distiller. Later on, at the request of the Spanish Royal Crown, the more delicate Ron Superior came to be in the later half of the 19^th century, whose popularity resulted in the opening of more than 1,000 distilleries throughout Cuba. Only one step followed in releasing today’s Cuban rum, a lighter, softer drink, consumed pure or in cocktails, served by bartenders all around the world.

A brand of irrefutable national reference, the Havana Club name has fostered tradition and pride to the Cuban culture. By preserving the fine art of añejamiento: the art of distilling and aging, the production of high quality rums, ripe with the sought-after rich Cuban flavors is made possible, most of which today goes to export.

Rum aficionados can witness first-hand the production of the legendary rum at the Rum Museum in Old Havana, complete with historical facts and secrets of the illustrious Maestros Roneros.

Monica Suma is a freelance travel writer. Follow her on Twitter @MonicaSuma.
Photo credit: Robin Thom

Hotel Florida is renowned for it Colonial charm, architectural beauty and central location in the heart of Havana Vieja. With only 25 rooms, it’s not surprising that the structure was originally a private residence, built in 1836 and occupied over time by aristocrats and wealthy businessmen. Later the mansion served many uses—a British club, the first Hotel Florida (for roughly 30 years), the Bank of Commercial Development, law offices and other purposes—before it was renovated and re-opened in 1999 as the current-day Hotel Florida.

The elegant building sits on the corner of Calles Cuba and Obispo, a vibrant pedestrian street filled with shops and activity, and is within walking distance of Plaza des Armas, Plaza Vieja,, Museum of the Revolution, the Capitol, Malecón, Paseo Prado and Central Park. For those who wish to explore Havana’s history and culture, the hotel’s location is ideal.

The entrance from the bustling Calle Obispo into Hotel Florida is through an impressive restored wooden door that stretches over 13 feet. A finely carved art deco sculpture of a dancing nude woman greets visitors within, and simple high-ceilinged guest rooms (with Italian marble and some with tall French doors that open onto balconies) balance the opulence of the common areas.

Visitors can relax and in the Spanish-style inner green and white marble courtyard—complete with a sliding glass roof to ward off inclement weather, arches, stone columns, wrought-iron lanterns and inner balconies above—which offers a refreshingly cool oasis from the hubbub of Calle Obispo outside. In the hotel’s piano bar, Maragato (whose name is a tribute to one of the most famous barmen of Cuba in the early 20^th century), Cuban music or jazz is usually performed nightly. This lively bar is a great place to go dancing (mostly salsa). The hotel’s lobby bar is also famous for international cocktails and house concoctions.

A special feature of the Hotel Florida begins in a corridor that connects to the adjacent Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno. This shortcut feels like a quick journey back in time because Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno, also once a private residence constructed for nobility, was built more than a century earlier. Hotel Florida itself, however, is also a portal that connects visitors directly to many gems within this magical city.

Text by Lise Waring
Photo by Robin Thom